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For example, being flat like a pancake is obviously highly unusual and very different from anything we have seen from stellar comets.

ceejayoz 1y ago
Stellar comets haven't been ejected from another solar system. We have vanishingly few examples of those, and we've not directly observed any up close. "Flat as a pancake" is one of several theoretical possibilities from its light curve, not a known fact about the object. "Highly unusual" in space tends to mean "there are a bunch, but we haven't seen them until now". In 1992, exoplanets were "highly unusual". Now they're everywhere.
- Sharlin 1y ago
  Yes, and the exoplanets we found first were highly unusual and not at all what we expected to find, which triggered tons of new research to amend our models of planetary system formation and dynamics. I’m not even sure what you’re trying to argue here – we found an object that did not fit our model of what things should look like, which is very curious and calls for an explanation. That’s how science works. Doesn’t mean it’s aliens. But “oh well maybe it’s just how things are back where it’s from” does not satisfy anyone.
  - ceejayoz 1y ago
    I think we are actually in agreement. I’m very onboard with “it was an interesting object and we should learn more”. I object to UFO cranks jumping to “it was a starship” conclusions like Avi Loeb wants to. Just as I would have when those weird first exoplanets showed up.
    - cubefox 1y ago
      I object to calling Avi Loeb a "crank" just because he thinks it might be an UFO.
      - ceejayoz 1y ago
        I object to not calling him a crank. The rest of the scientific community seems to take the same position.
    - zikzak 1y ago
      Did he conclude it was a starship or argue we shouldn't dismiss out of hand that an object like this has a non-zero chance of being an artifact of another civilization?
      - ceejayoz 1y ago
        I mean, he titled his book about it “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial:_The_First_Sign_of_Intelligent_Life_Beyond_Earth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial:_The_First_Si...
        zikzak 1y ago
        Did he say it was definitely a starship?
        ceejayoz 1y ago
        Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?
- cubefox 1y ago
  The highly unusual properties are such that they are genuinely hard to explain for astronomers. See my neighbouring comment.

ceejayoz 1y ago

Stellar comets haven't been ejected from another solar system. We have vanishingly few examples of those, and we've not directly observed any up close. "Flat as a pancake" is one of several theoretical possibilities from its light curve, not a known fact about the object. "Highly unusual" in space tends to mean "there are a bunch, but we haven't seen them until now". In 1992, exoplanets were "highly unusual". Now they're everywhere.

Sharlin 1y ago
Yes, and the exoplanets we found first were highly unusual and not at all what we expected to find, which triggered tons of new research to amend our models of planetary system formation and dynamics. I’m not even sure what you’re trying to argue here – we found an object that did not fit our model of what things should look like, which is very curious and calls for an explanation. That’s how science works. Doesn’t mean it’s aliens. But “oh well maybe it’s just how things are back where it’s from” does not satisfy anyone.
- ceejayoz 1y ago
  I think we are actually in agreement. I’m very onboard with “it was an interesting object and we should learn more”. I object to UFO cranks jumping to “it was a starship” conclusions like Avi Loeb wants to. Just as I would have when those weird first exoplanets showed up.
  - cubefox 1y ago
    I object to calling Avi Loeb a "crank" just because he thinks it might be an UFO.
    - ceejayoz 1y ago
      I object to not calling him a crank. The rest of the scientific community seems to take the same position.
  - zikzak 1y ago
    Did he conclude it was a starship or argue we shouldn't dismiss out of hand that an object like this has a non-zero chance of being an artifact of another civilization?
    - ceejayoz 1y ago
      I mean, he titled his book about it “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial:_The_First_Sign_of_Intelligent_Life_Beyond_Earth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial:_The_First_Si...
      - zikzak 1y ago
        Did he say it was definitely a starship?
        ceejayoz 1y ago
        Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?
cubefox 1y ago
The highly unusual properties are such that they are genuinely hard to explain for astronomers. See my neighbouring comment.